Archived decisions

CHILDREN: RESIDENTIAL CARE STRATEGY

1 The Residential Care strategy has been based on significant research into residential care, both nationally and locally. Sir William Utting's Safeguards Review highlighted a number of issues about residential care which have been taken into account which, because of preparatory work, have put the department in a good position to meet the National Care Standards Commission requirements. The strategy focuses on children's needs by recognising the degree of support that is required to progress plans and move some of the most vulnerable children and young people in society back home or to permanent placements. Residential services have a key role to play. The strategy also aims to prevent some young people moving to high cost non-county residential resources on the basis that with adequate support, their needs can be better met locally, in Hampshire.

2 There are ten 'mainstream' residential units in Hampshire. These are units that do not provide services for children with physical and learning disabilities. The Statement of Purpose for each unit sets out the specific objectives and how they will be achieved by high quality residential services.

3 The model proposes six `Core & Cluster' units. These will be locally based, as is presently the case, but with the capacity to offer residential care as part of a continuum of community based support services. The cluster of resources are drawn from a variety of sources, including residential workers, family support teams, foster carers, health services and professionals offering psychological help and education support services. Where residential care is offered as part of a package of services, it will be short-term and where possible, shared with parents or other primary carers. The Best Value Review of Looked After Children highlighted that parents who had been finding it difficult to cope reported that respite or shared care would have, and in some cases did, prevent their child being looked after continuously or long-term.

4 The service will offer thirty-six residential care places at any given time. Each unit will look after no more than six residents in order to comply with the new standards set out by the National Care Standards Committee, additional young people may be linked to a home `register' who can be looked after when others are with parents. The service requires a significant change in social care practice, the emphasis being on engaging and maintaining commitment from parents and wider family from the onset with the aim of the plan leading to rehabilitation at home as soon as is possible. This is consistent with the development of family support teams. Core and Cluster units will be managed within the family support service by Service Managers.

5 The remaining four units will be longer term 'specialist' units with a focus on therapy for the most vulnerable young people. These young people are likely to be those who have suffered significant harm from a number of causes, including neglect and multiple placement breakdown. They will be young people who have little trust in adults and who would find a small family unit too threatening. The aim of these units will be to prepare young people to move on to foster care or, where possible, back home, within a family or friends setting.

6 With the correct support mechanisms, young people who are currently in non-county residential resources (those with emotional and behavioural needs) could remain in Hampshire resources and have their needs met locally, an option far more conducive to good child care practice and potentially more cost-effective.

7 The four specialist units will offer six places each: a total of twenty four places. They will serve as a countywide resource and will be line managed by one Service Manager in order to ensure services are consistent and entry to the service based on the achievement of a balance of the best option for the individual and on a workable mix of residents. It is difficult to determine the number of long-term beds required as at present a high proportion of young people would have been more appropriately placed in foster care, had placements been available. However, with further development of family support services it is envisaged that twenty-four long-term residential placements for the County should be sufficient. It will also allow for the placement of some young people who would have otherwise moved into a non-county resource.

8 All homes will operate on a planned admission basis in recognition that the comings and goings of emergency admissions, particularly those out-of-hours, are very disruptive to all concerned and make the service a dangerous one to work in and manage. Developments in the family placement service aim to address resources for emergency placements.

9 Discussions are currently underway with Health (Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs)) in order to plan joint working practices and ensure that young people in these units have access to psychological help and where necessary, fast access to psychiatric services.

10 The Executive Member was pleased to authorise the implementation of the first phase of the strategy which will give priority needs to the newly designated county specialist units, both in terms of responding to the most needy children and young people.

Felicity Hindson MBE

Executive Member for Social Care

4IR200602